Country Profile: Eritrea

Geography

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, north of Ethiopia. Slightly larger than Pennsylvania.

Recent History

A thirty year struggle from the early 1960s ended in 1991, followed by a referendum in Eritrea in 1993 overwhelmingly approving independence.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $700
2008: $700
2007: $700

Population

Living in an urban area: 21% (2008)

July 2010: 5.792 million. Growth: 2.522% (ranks 29th)
July 2008: 5.028 million
july 2005: 4.57 million.

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2010: 42.33
2008: 44.22
2007: 45.24

Average life expectancy at birth

2010: 62.15
2008: 60.05
2007: 59.55

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 2.7 percent (2003 estimate).

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/